NASA Faces Historic $5.6 Billion Budget Cut Threatening 46% of Science Programs

Key Points

• White House proposes $5.6 billion cut to NASA's FY 2027 budget
• 46% reduction to Science Mission Directorate would eliminate nearly half of all science projects
• Missions beyond Pluto, at Jupiter, and Earth/Sun monitoring would be eliminated
• Planetary Society increasing advocacy efforts to counter the cuts

Full Details

NASA's science program is confronting its most severe budget threat in history with the White House's FY 2027 proposal calling for a $5.6 billion cut that would slash the agency's Science Mission Directorate by 46 percent and eliminate roughly half of all active and in-development projects. The proposed cuts would wipe out missions beyond Pluto, at Jupiter, and numerous Earth- and Sun-monitoring observatories, representing a devastating blow to U.S. space science. This represents the second-largest single-year cut in NASA's history and comes despite the agency's critical role in lunar exploration and planetary science. The budget justification has been criticized as the least transparent ever, raising concerns about the administration's commitment to scientific exploration. The Planetary Society has responded by increasing its advocacy spending and hosting the largest in-person space advocacy event in D.C. history to counter these threats.